Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GO GREEN ROUTES (GO GREEN: Resilient Optimal Urban natural, Technological and Environmental Solutions)
Période du rapport: 2022-03-01 au 2023-08-31
GoGreenRoutes commenced with the challenge of addressing urban health in light of the wicked problems of climate change and urbanisation across six targeted cities (i.e. cultivating cities) with knowledge exchange across both Seed and Cross-Pollination cities and regions. Two key shifts occurred during the timeline of the project 1) COVID-19 Global Pandemic and 2) Climate Change Anxiety 3) Increased focus on gender and intersectionality. These new challenges were systematically tackled by the GoGreenRoutes project. A published scientific review clearly demonstrated that natural environments possess considerable potential in buffering the impact of stressful events on a population level on mental health during COVID-19. Additional tools relating to the topic of climate anxiety have been embedded in the survey and monitoring tools applied in the project. A gender inclusion and diversity committee within the project clustered with other projects (e.g. Inhabit) and engaged in a more comprehensive approach towards the emerging agendas in public discourse. Since, the inception of GoGreenRoutes cities have shown an increased ambition to address urban health problems using nature-based solutions, digital and social innovation. Two notable examples of this ambition provide context to the projects impact. Both the cities of Tallinn (2023) and Lahti (2021), in Estonia and Finland, respectively, have been awarded European Green Capital awards. Supported by the project further ambition was shown through a commitment to the City Mission by Lahti and Umea, which have benefitted from the learning ecosystem of GoGreenRoutes. Nature-based solutions and nature-based interventions augmented by technological solutions and participatory approaches are central to cities achieving their collective ambitions and promoting urban health for their citizens. GoGreenRoutes array of visionary and integrated solutions are build upon a multi-dimensional health model, termed 360-Health, which links human and environmental health and supports health impacts across the lifespan. This multi-dimensional concept aligns with 12 of the 17 the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-being. Ensuring intergenerational health is critical to the future of communities and cities. To achieve 360 Health, novel tools, methods and indicators have had to be developed. GoGreenRoutes aim is to promote multidimensional health by implementing a variety of NBS (e.g. Greenways, Pocket Parks, Health Forests), to connect citizens to nature, promote sustainable physical activity, optimise public places as inclusive intergenerational spaces and increase knowledge to improve sustainable lifestyle habits with benefits for both environmental and human health.
The NBS implementation was supported by a pilot intervention, termed the seedbed in each of the Cultivating Cities, which supported community engagement and informed the future design and implementation of NBS. This process has been identified as a new best practice to support community engagement and enhance inclusion in NBS development. Digital innovation, central to GoGreenRoutes, included a new prototype mobile application to assess nutritional quality and sustainability of food outlets which was advanced by partner Nutritics in the project and has the potential to lead to additional functionality in the app, based on scientific evidence from the project. A novel online digital resilience and nature connectedness training programme has been co-created with city and citizen engagement and is now implemented as part of a Mobile Application solution by partner Monsenso. The novel approach to use human nature interactions as a tool to promote mental resilience has vast commercial opportunities for the two tech partners with potential for this low stigma approach to support widening reach of mHealth applications. GoGreenRoutes presence online has continued to build (e.g moving from 2190 to 2604 followers on Twitter), with further reach across the wider NBS community due to targeted, high value conference leadership, engagement with clustered projects. This dissemination activity also includes active participation in conferences hosted by other projects (e.g. Final Events of Network Nature), and participation in the task forces and other meetings coordinated by NetworkNature (CSA). Additionally, GoGreenRoutes hosted international conferences to support capacity building with city and regional partners, knowledge-exchange and events which addressed key emerging topics of societal relevance (e.g. climate anxiety) through a series of Spring, Summer and Autumn Schools held in Malta and Ireland, typically co-hosted with transnational consortium meetings. These events supported by expertise from clustered projects and our advisory board provided opportunities to advance knowledge and practice and create a shared learning ecosystem among cities, partners, policy makers and researchers.
GoGreenRoutes implemented NBS across 4 of the 6 cultivating cities, supported innovation across the consortium which is designed to maximise impact and create a learning ecosystem which can readily translate findings into impact and policy recommendations. Methods developed in previous urban health projects SOPARC and RECITAL have been further enhanced and digitised to support greater ease and uptake by cities and researchers looking to implement inclusive methodologies for tracking the impact of future NBS in their local area. Methodological innovation has been demonstrated through advancing methods including Delphi method, walking interviews and co-creation activities in urban health and well-being labs through a more comprehensive consideration of local factors including gender and diversity. Citizens views of their city in terms of environmental challenges, nature connectedness and the capacity of the urban environment to support a pathway to health are key dimensions that are being explored across Cultivating Cities. Urban health and well being plans are among the outcomes from these processes, and these strategies will provide a beacon for cities to enlighten their future pathways to urban health and be part of cities long-term ambitions for climate, biodiversity and health. The genesis of cutting-edge scientific findings with vast implications for urban health, in light of the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, EU Green Deal and post-COVID19 urban transformations. This scientific endeavour to date sets the scene for our specific questions about mental health, the quality of the natural environment, the impact upon urban mobility and the role of nature connectedness to be answered through the next final reporting period.